Chapter 32: Hide and seek

Not knowing where to go to meet Kindred, I wandered around the street for a while, dragging the fainted Ahri.

Perhaps because Weh’le is located in the center of Ionia like Jongno or Myeongdong, it was very crowded with many people coming and going.

I enjoyed the lively energy of the festival among the people roaming the streets.

My heart fluttered a little because it was a free time with Set that was given after a long time.

Set keeps fidgeting his hands and feet on my back as if he is amazed by the scenery he is seeing for the first time.

And Ahri still showed no sign of waking up.

Thinking that the people on the street might misunderstand me as a kidnapper or something similar if I kept dragging her around like this, I was about to wake her up, but I found a weak light seeping out of Ahri’s neck.

I looked for the source of the light, thinking that she had evolved into a firefly without me knowing, and the light was coming from the bizarre patterns engraved on her neck.

I don’t know what these patterns mean, but I knew the energy felt from there very well.

It was the energy of death, the same as what Kindred was emitting when I first met them.

Does that mean that Ahri is going to die soon because their energy is felt from Ahri’s neck?

There was clearly nothing wrong with her before coming here, so was she attacked by someone at the festival?

But suddenly Kindred appeared.

“Yo.” “Woman, we meet again!”

“What’s with that powerless greeting. Suddenly moving me to a strange place and all. By the way… Your appearance is so different from when we met before?”

“We don’t have a form like humans, so we appear in the image that people imagine us to be. In other words, this is the image of Kindred as perceived by the people here.”

“No one knows our true form—except for Mother.“

Mother?

Does that mean that even such a being has someone to call parent?

But the books I investigated separately after meeting Kindred only contained descriptions of what Kindred is.

If they had a mother, it would have been widely known to the world.

But there is no reason for Kindred to lie to me on purpose.

Anyway, Kindred’s appearance is so different from when I saw them last time.

The appearance is also closer to human than the previous appearance of the lamb, and the wolf is also a mixture of white and pink from black.

I already have an almost immediately deadly cute face behind that mask, so I can’t imagine what it’s like now.

I had forgotten for a moment because of the sudden reunion, but the patterns on Ahri’s neck still hadn’t disappeared.

When I asked about the signs of Kindred felt from these patterns, they said that these patterns are marks that Kindred engrave.

“We never miss the prey that’s been marked.”
“In the end, they get hunted by us!”

“But Ahri was fine just a moment ago. I can’t just leave her to die like this, even if she’s an unlikeable person.”

“Calm down. The mark engraved on that fox is not complete yet. In other words, she’s just dying. Do you know what happened to that fox?”

What happened to Ahri and she is dying?

But no one approached Ahri when I was secretly watching.

Ahri is fainted now because I did it with my fist because Ahri was trying to charm the stall owner, so there is no way to harm her…

No way?

“Actually, I hit Ahri once, but how can a person die just because they got punched once. Isn’t that right?”

“”…..””

“Yeah? No way. You’re saying that she’s about to die from a punch that I just swung normally without taking out my nails? Even though it’s a punch swung by me, who is just an ordinary person?”

“You need to look back on yourself.” “That woman is scary.”

I can’t understand why Kindred is showing that reaction.

I’m just a mother of one child who has trained a little more than ordinary people.

There are countless people stronger than me in this world.

But a person dies from one punch I threw?

It’s impossible unless that person is almost on the verge of death or has an incredibly low pain tolerance.

This is not going to work.

If I release Ahri into the world like this, she will suddenly die somewhere.

Before she leaves, I have to somehow train her hard and make her body enough to live a normal daily life.

I woke up Ahri, who was fainted and dying, with a slap.

“Eek! A strage roe deer and badger were gesturing to me from across the river… Where is here?”

“Ah, don’t worry. We’re just trapped in this bizarre and fantastic space that death has brought.”

“Yeah? What do you mean” “Yo.” “Nice to meet you!” “Heoeaek!?!!”

Ahri, who lost her mind at last because there were strange guys in a strange space as soon as she opened her eyes.

I have to raise Ahri strongly with the help of Kindred because the marks will be engraved again if I leave her like this.

“Hey, Mr. Kindred.”

“What’s up.” “Do you need us?”

“Do you like hide-and-seek?”

“That’s what we always do. It’s to find the guys who are trying to escape from us.” “The wolf finds and bites those who run away!”

After getting the answer I wanted, I explained the language training (physical) to Ahri, who was still in confusion and didn’t know what was going on, to make her understand.

“Okay, Ahri. Did you hear that? From now on, you’re going to start playing hide-and-seek with the existence of death standing over there. This is all for you. They happen to be free now.”

“Eh? Wait a minute, how do you know such an existence” “The hunt begins!” “Kkieeeeeek!!! If a person is talking, you have to let them finish talking!!!”

Ahri, who is disappearing far away with the wolf.

Then it’s my turn now.

I turned my body to the lamb who was still left next to me.

Since you called me here, there must be a reason that corresponds to it.

The lamb spoke to me as soon as those two disappeared from view.

“Unexpected guests came with you, but finally it’s just the two of us left.”

“Yes. So can you tell me the real reason why you told me to come here?”

“Of course. The real reason why I called you here is…”

Gulp.

I’m thirsty because of the tension.

Cold sweat flows on my cheeks and the perceived time around me slows down.

Kindred’s mouth slowly opens and begins to spit out words.

“Let’s do that. That. thing.”